Packaged air conditioner

Abstract

A package terminal air conditioning unit that is split into two sections, an indoor section and an outdoor section. The components of the indoor section are housed in an indoor cabinet of all molded construction having a recirculating air duct that is contoured to conduct air quietly and efficiently through the cabinet. Interchangeable guide vanes are also mounted in the air duct to act in conjunction with a crossflow fan rotor which permits the cabinet to be adapted to accommodate fans of different sizes and shapes without having to alter the configuration of the molded cabinet. The outdoor section simply contains a heat exchanger and a small blower which are housed in a lightweight cabinet. The outdoor cabinet used in one preferred embodiment of the invention is hung on the outside wall of a building and the outdoor heat exchanger is connected to the remaining air conditioning components housed in the indoor cabinet by two refrigerant lines.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a package terminal air conditioning unit that is formed of an interior unit disposed within a building, a separate exterior unit disposed outside the building, and connecting duct means connecting the interior unit to the exterior unit, in which the interior unit comprises a cabinet, an indoor heat exchanger coil, and a cylindrical fan which includes a cylindrical fan rotor, means mounting the rotor in the cabinet, and a volute shaped member; said exterior unit comprises an outside heat exchanger coil and an outside cabinet separated from said indoor cabinet and housing said outdoor heat exchanger; and said connecting duct means comprises a pair of refrigerant lines passing between the two cabinets for connecting the two heat exchanger coils, a compressor, and an expansion valve to complete an air conditioning circuit; the improvement wherein said compressor is contained in the indoor cabinet of the interior unit so that the exterior unit is kept as small and light as possible, and has a relatively small power requirement as compared with the interior unit; said indoor cabinet is molded of a synthetic resin and is formed of a base section, a back section, and a removable front cover section that interlock to form an equipment compartment that houses said compressor and an adjacent air duct that connects an inlet vent and an outlet vent with the indoor heat exchanger coil situated therebetween; both of which compartments are opened by removal of only the front cover section; said back section having an integral molded volute-shaped casing that forms a part of the air duct for housing the cylindrical fan rotor and integral support means for mounting the indoor heat exchanger coil in said air duct;   said base section including means for mounting the compressor in said equipment compartment and;   said front cover section including a guide vane removably mounted therein that is positioned in said air duct adjacent the fan for directing the air therethrough.   
     
     
       2. The air conditioning unit of claim 1 wherein the two cabinets are separated by a wall and further includes a wall bracket mounted on the outside of said wall having hanger means for suspending said outdoor cabinet from said wall bracket. 
     
     
       3. The air conditioning unit of claim 2 wherein said wall bracket includes a vertical back plate having clip means for removably engaging the outdoor cabinet. 
     
     
       4. The air conditioning unit of claim 3 that further includes a horizontally disposed lower flange secured to the back plate upon which the outdoor cabinet rests. 
     
     
       5. The air conditioning unit of claim 1 wherein said back section contains a pair of spaced vertical walls molded integrally therewith and which cooperate with the casing to define the air duct and said cylindrical fan and said indoor heat exchanger being suspended between said walls. 
     
     
       6. The air conditioning unit of claim 5 that further includes a motor means for rotating said fan which is mounted on one of said walls within the equipment compartment. 
     
     
       7. The air conditioning unit of claim 5 wherein said base section further includes a trough means molded integrally therewith that is positioned inside the air duct beneath the indoor heat exchanger and a drain means connected to said trough for carrying condensate collected in each trough out of the indoor cabinet. 
     
     
       8. The air conditioning unit of claim 1 wherein the indoor cabinet is positioned adjacent to an outdoor wall of a building and the outdoor cabinet is mounted within the wall with the outer face of the cabinet being flush with the outer surface of the wall. 
     
     
       9. The air conditioning unit of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical fan includes a crossflow rotor having blades that are forwardly curved in the direction of rotation. 
     
     
       10. The air conditioning unit of claim 1 that further includes a blower mounted in the outdoor cabinet for moving ambient air over the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
       11. The air conditioning unit of claim 10 wherein said conduit means comprises said pair of refrigerant lines, an electric power cable for powering the blower of the exterior unit, and a conduit for carrying condensed moisture from the interior unit to the exterior unit.